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India shuttlers look to execute well
Saina Nehwal skipped Sunday's baton ceremony to keep herself fresh for Monday's opening tie against Kenya in the mixed team championship.
Saina Nehwal skipped Sunday's baton ceremony to keep herself fresh for Monday's opening tie against Kenya in the mixed team championship.
The team management's decision to skip the opening ceremony for an encounter against a team that is not even expected to make the hosts sweat, shows how badly national coach, Pullela Gopi Chand, wants the team to win their maiden gold in the Commonwealth Games.
Gopi Chand had made his intentions clear when he sacrificed a singles spot in the women's individual event to pick a back-up doubles player for the team championship.
Though aiming for gold could be a little ambitious, anything below a second-place finish should be an under-achievement for a squad that boasts of three top-20 stars.
India's biggest hurdle in the race for silver will be England, whom they are likely to face in the semifinals. The last edition's silver medallists are very strong in the three doubles rubbers and Rajiv Ouseph's form in men's singles should give them a slight edge.
However, Gopi Chand does not want to look that far and take things one at a time. “The preparation has gone very well. Now it's about executing things.”
